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Tag Archives: honouring

Is This Name Too Short, or Too Unusual?

22 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by A.O. in Naming Assistance

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

animal names, choosing baby names, Facebook, honouring, matching names with surnames, middle names, name trends, nature names, nicknames, rare names

fox-wallpaper-11

Tara and Andor are expecting their first child in a few months, and easily thought of plenty of girls names they both liked. However, they only agreed on one boy’s name that they both liked equally and felt was the right fit for them. As it happened, they discovered they were having a boy, and now that one name seems very real.

The one boy’s name they have both agreed on is Fox. Tara admits this possibly wasn’t a good idea, but she mentioned the name to her mother and sister, who were surprised by it and not very impressed.

Her mum thought it sounded “too Mills & Boone”, and was concerned that if their son had red hair (which runs in the family), the name Fox might seem rather cruel. She also didn’t like the connotations of being sly that the word fox has.

Tara’s sister just didn’t like it, as her taste in names is much more traditional. Tara is too sensible to worry overmuch about her family’s reactions, and hopes that they come around once the baby has actually been born (and is a super cute and cuddly grandson and nephew for them).

The main thing that is holding Tara back from committing to the name Fox is that the baby will have a one-syllable occupational surname, such as Clark, and she feels that Fox Clark doesn’t flow particularly well. She also wonders if it might be a bit too unusual, as Fox seems to be gaining popularity as a middle name rather than a first name.

What Tara and Andor would most like in a name is something which isn’t highly popular, and will be suitable for all stages of their son’s life. Tara likes older style names, and both of them love nature names as well. Tara is a teacher, and has ruled out many names too strongly associated with past students.

Andor has an unusual name, and both he and Tara like that it’s out of the ordinary – they both like the name Oliver, nicknamed Ollie, but have ruled it out because it’s the #1 name. Archie is also becoming a name they are seeing too often on other people’s children to keep on their list.

Other names they have thought of are Felix, Arlo, Louis, Banjo, and Sonny. Tara really likes Theodore, nicknamed Teddy or Theo, or just Theo as the full name, but she hasn’t been able to convince Andor. The baby’s middle name will be Steven, which honours a loved family member.

Tara wants to know – is Fox too short for a one-syllable surname, and is it too out there as a first name?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Last year a mum-to-be wrote in to the blog because she and her husband had agreed on only one name for their daughter – Grace. Because they had a one-syllable surname, like Cooke, she was worried that they couldn’t give their baby girl a short name to match it. When their daughter was born, they decided that Grace was the perfect name for her after all.

Just as I couldn’t see anything horribly wrong with Grace Cooke, I don’t believe Fox Clark is too dreadful. More than that, I actually like it – I enjoy that it has a snappy, brisk sound, like the bark of a fox. I also like the juxtaposition of the two nouns in the name Fox Clark, which is very evocative. The name sounds smart to me – clever and wise, rather than cunning and sly.

I found a young man on Facebook with the name “Fox Clark”, so someone else has used it. I had a very clear picture in my mind as to what someone named Fox Clark would be like, and this man (unsurprisingly!) looked completely different – and yet I at once thought, “Oh yes, he looks exactly right for a Fox Clark”. And I’m sure I could see another Fox Clark, and another, and they would all suit their name in different ways.

As to whether Fox is too unusual a name or not, that comes down to opinion. It’s certainly not a common name, but nature names and animal names are on trend, and so are names for boys ending in an X like Tex or Hendrix. The name Fox is also rising steeply in the UK and US, so I think you can safely assume there are more Foxes being born here too.

You’re right that the name is much more common in the middle, but rising names often start out in middle name territory. Parents like them, but don’t feel bold enough to use such a “different” name in the first position: not yet, anyway. Short names like Fox also appeal as middle names because they sound good with longer first names.

But what you probably wonder is whether other people will think that Fox is too weird, especially after your family’s reaction. The feeling I most get about Fox when I talk to people about it is that it’s a “cool name” – one that’s different, but in an interesting way.

If you look at people’s opinions online, so often they say Fox is a guilty pleasure name: one they wish they were brave enough to use. Sure, you might have a few people who don’t care for the name Fox, or think it’s strange, but I think there will also be some admirers, and secret admirers, out there.

Even your mum’s comment that it’s a “Mills & Boone” name suggests that she thinks it sounds sexy and bad boy. She might not like it, or perhaps thinks it’s inappropriate, but it’s interesting that she immediately connected the name to romance and fantasy. Perhaps when you met Andor, you likewise found his name intriguing: I like that Andor has an unusual name too, so it feels like the start of a family tradition.

Fox is an up and coming name that isn’t widely familiar yet. That’s an attraction for a teacher, for as yet you haven’t had many (perhaps any?) students named Fox to colour the name for you.

That means it doesn’t have an ageless quality but eventually children grow up, and their names inevitably grow with them – at some point, Arlo will be your doctor and Sonny will handle your insurance claim. Once upon a time, Clarence was a “little boy” name that people could no doubt never picture as a lawyer, journalist, or old man in a nursing home.

If you continue to have nagging doubts about naming your son Fox, perhaps you could use it as a nickname. Looking at your name list, you have considered the name Felix, which seems the easiest to turn into a long form of Fox – “His name’s Felix, but we call him Fox for short”. Really, Fox seems like the kind of name where you could choose any name you wanted and add, “… but we call him Fox”.

However, I must say I hope you decide to stick with Fox. It’s a name you both like equally, and the only name you have both agreed on so far, so it just might be the right name for you.

POLL RESULTS

87% of people thought Fox was okay to use with a one-syllable surname. 48% thought it sounded quite good, 21% that it sounded okay, and 18% that it didn’t flow particularly well, but was still usable. However 11% of people thought it was too awkward to be usable, and 2% weren’t sure.

85% of people thought that was Fox wasn’t too weird to be usable as a baby name. 30% thought it was a bit unusual, but that others would soon get used to it. 20% didn’t think it was very unusual as it fits in so well with current trends. 15% said it was too unusual for them to use, but they would find it interesting on someone else’s child. 13% thought it was very unusual, but that was a positive thing as it made the name cool and different. 7% of people didn’t think it was unusual in the least. 11% thought maybe it was too unusual as they couldn’t imagine it on a real person, while 4% were convinced it was an extremely weird name.

A Sister or Brother for Tillie and Texas

12 Saturday Mar 2016

Posted by A.O. in Naming Assistance

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

choosing baby names, honouring, middle names, nicknames, sibsets

photo

Jenny and Sam are expecting their third child in a few months, and already have a daughter named Tillie and a son named Texas.

Their favourite girl’s name is Saffy, and they also like Daisy, Violet, and Georgie. They would like two middle names for a girl, with the second middle name being Lynda to honour a beloved family member who has passed away. (Tillie also has two middle names).

Jenny is not sure what middle name should come before Lynda. So far she has thought of Saffy Lucy Lynda and Saffy Primrose Lynda, but isn’t set on either of them.

Jenny and Sam’s favourite boy’s name is Rafferty, and they also like Rowdy, Darcy, and Sullivan. The middle name they like is Theodore.

Jenny wonders what names sound the best together, how the girl’s middle names should be handled, and if there are any other great names they haven’t thought of that would make a good match with Tillie and Texas.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I think Saffy is good choice – it’s one of those names that are unusual, yet don’t feel particularly strange. It makes a nice contrast with Tillie (not popular, but not uncommon) and Texas (rare, but nickname Tex is on the radar). Most importantly, it’s your favourite name!

I itch to know what Saffy is short for: a question you would probably hear from time to time. I think of Saffy from Ab Fab, which is short for Saffron, but lately have seen a number of baby girls named Sapphire, nicknamed Saffy or Saphy.

Georgie feels like a natural match with Tillie, but to me sounds a bit odd with Texas, as Georgie is usually short for Georgia. If I’d just been introduced to your family, I would wonder to myself if you’d called your children Georgia and Texas!

Daisy and Violet are nice too, but take your childrens’ names firmly into a “normal names for girls, unusual names for boys” direction. Which is fine, but does seem a departure from Tillie, Texas, and Saffy.

Other girls’ names that might fit in with Tillie and Texas are Posey, Romy, Winnie, Sadie, Scout, Cleo, June, Maisie, Mabel, Mae, Libby, Liv, and Luella.

I love the combination Saffy Primrose Lynda! Primrose has become a new go-to middle name; a style update on Rose. I think Saffy Primrose Lynda sounds very British, and a nice match with Tillie. Saffy Lucy Lynda is nice too, but a bit tongue-twistery for me to say easily.

Other middle names that are unusual botanicals include Saffy Marigold Lynda, Saffy Bluebell Lynda, Saffy Maple Lynda, Saffy Aster Lynda, Saffy Plum Lynda, Saffy Blossom Lynda, and Saffy Juniper Lynda.

Other combinations that might appeal are Saffy Clementine Lynda, Saffy Pearl Lynda, Saffy Juliet Lynda, Saffy Beatrix Lynda, Saffy Penelope Lynda, and Saffy Emmeline Lynda.

Rafferty Theodore seems absolutely perfect as a boy’s name – Tillie, Texas, and Rafferty is so cute. Rowdy also seems an awesome match with Texas, while Darcy is perhaps a bit popular next to it. I love Sullivan, but if you call him Sully for short, Tillie and Sully might perhaps be an issue – it would be circumvented if you nicknamed him Van instead.

Other boys’ names that might be cute with Tillie and Texas include Iggy, Ziggy, Alby, Dash, Zeke, and Otis. But I really think Rafferty Theodore hits the spot.

You still have a few months to firm up your baby name choices, but it sounds as if you are already doing pretty well. I can’t see you having any problems once the baby arrives.

UPDATE: The baby was a girl, and her name is Saffy!

POLL RESULTS: The public’s clear choices for the baby’s name were Saffy for a girl (52%), and Rafferty for a boy (58%). Their choice for a girl’s first middle name was Primrose (87%).

What Name for a Wild Colonial Boy, Brother to Arabella?

20 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by A.O. in Naming Assistance

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

choosing baby names, famous namesakes, honouring, middle names, name combinations, names of bushrangers, nicknames, sibsets

The-Littlest-bushranger_FRONT-COVER1

A couple of weeks ago we had an English-born mum and an Australian dad looking for a baby name; this time we have the same situation, but with the genders reversed.

Eloise is Australian, and her husband George was born in the UK; they already have a little girl named Arabella. Next month she will be getting a baby brother, but George and Eloise still haven’t decided on a name for him.

Eloise loves strong, masculine boys’ names of English and Scottish ancestry. Both Eloise and George like the idea of bushranger and outlaw names, as both rural Australian and British in flavour.

Eloise’s favourite boys names are William (nicknamed Will or Billy), Archer, Archie, Henry, Wilfred, Jock, and Mack. She also likes Rafferty, Albie, Angus, Dougal, Hugh, Hugo, Rory, and Toby, but George isn’t so keen on them.

George’s favourite names and William and Henry, and he would also consider Archie, Oscar, and Stirling.

George doesn’t like the idea of Jock or Mack, because they already have a close family member named Jack, and he thinks the names are alike enough to be confusing.

Possible middle name choices to honour relatives are Walter, Frederick, Jack, and Guy.

Eloise and George’s surname is something vaguely similar to Hudgett, and Eloise wonders if Henry Hudgett or Hugo Hudgett might sound a bit too much.

At the moment, their front runner is Archer Jack or Archie Jack – Eloise showed George the blog entry for Archer, which proved persuasive!

She wonders what people think of the name Archer Jack Hudgett or Archie Jack Hudgett?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Archer Jack Hudgett is great! I think I would prefer Archie as the nickname, just so you can keep the Australian connection to Archer. I also love that this has a British connection, thanks to British officer “Mad Jack” Churchill, who was the last archer in Britain to kill in battle. Not only does this link Archer and Jack together, but in the film Gallipoli, the heroes are Archy and Jack.

Arabella and Archie is definitely a very Scottish-sounding sibset! I did try to find a bushranger called Archie, with no success, although it seems quite a popular name for fictional ones.

If you don’t go with Archer or Archie, it sounds as if William and Henry would also be possibilities, since both of you have picked them as favourites.

William is very handsome, and I like William Frederick, William Jack, and William Guy. William sounds nice with Arabella, and there is a famous convict and bushranger called William Westwood – he went by the name Jackey Jackey, oddly enough. He was known as “the gentleman bushranger”.

While I do think Hugo Hudgett is a bit much, Henry Hudgett seems perfectly fine to me. Henry Walter and Henry Frederick are both very handsome (although Henry Jack and Henry Guy could also be used), and Arabella and Henry sound good together.

There is a famous bushranger called Henry “Harry” Power, said to have helped inspire the career of Ned Kelly, and another called Henry Maple, known as “the boy bushranger”. In fact there are quite a number of bushrangers with the name Henry, and coupled with bush writer Henry Lawson, this is a good choice for an Australian-themed name that is also very English in style.

I do think that Jock and Mack have to be knocked off the list because of Jack. I know plenty of families where this would not be a problem at all, and who would happily cope with names even closer than Jock and Jack or Jack and Mack. However, I think it has to be George’s call, and if it’s uncomfortably close for him, then that has to be respected.

I like Wilfred as well – it’s such a lovable name. It reminds me of the Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett, who was the first western journalist to enter Hiroshima after the bombing, and was so forthright when reporting on the wars in Korea and Vietnam. He remains controversial to this day, and is something of a folk hero. It might remind people of the dog in the absurdist TV comedy though.

As Wilfred has similar nicknames to William and Frederick (Will and Freddie), could William Frederick “Wilf” be an acceptable alternative if George vetoed Wilfred?

Oscar and Stirling are both great names too, although I find that I stutter over Oscar in combination with your surname; it’s strangely difficult to say. Stirling is definitely very Scottish (especially with a sister named Arabella), and also reminds me of the British pound sterling. It sounds good with all your possible middle name choices – except Guy, as Stirling Guy seems rather comical.

George and Eloise, you’ve got a good list of names together, and have already agreed on a few names. At the moment it seems as if Archer or Archie could be the right name, but in just a few weeks you will be meeting your little bushranger, and things will seem even clearer then.

UPDATE: The baby’s name was Angus!

POLL RESULTS: Archer Jack received a good response, with 52% thinking it was great. However, Archie Jack wasn’t as popular, with 40% believing it wasn’t that good. The public’s choice for the baby’s name was Archer, gaining 25% of the vote.

(Picture shows the cover of The Littlest Bushranger by Alison Reynolds; the “bushranger” is named Jack and has a big sister Lil)

What Names Would You Pick for Mason’s Twin Siblings?

13 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by A.O. in Naming Assistance

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

choosing baby names, honouring, middle names, name combinations, nicknames, sibsets, twin sets

9077838_f520

Rachel and Nicholas have a son called Mason. They absolutely love his name, and get compliments all the time on how strong and masculine it is. They like that his name is in keeping with the trends of his generation, but isn’t too popular, because Mason is the only one with his name in his class.

As baby namers, they’ve done a great job, but their skills are about to be put to the test, because they’ve just found out that they are going to be welcoming twins later this year!

It took Rae and Nick a long time to choose Mason’s name, so they are hard at work thinking of names for twins. They already have two girls’ names picked out that they love: Aurelia and Edeline. If they have a pair of twin sisters for Mason, everything’s golden.

However, they might be having two boys, or a boy and girl; in which case they still have some decisions to make.

Rae is is very firm that the twins’ names be individual and not matchy at all: they shouldn’t “go together” any more than siblings’ names usually do. She doesn’t want them to start with the same letter, or end with the same sound, or be linked by any sort of theme.

Rae and Nick really want the names to have a nickname for everyday use: for example, Mason is always called Mace. They don’t like names that are already nicknames, such as Harry.

Rae and Nick have a handsome surname that sounds slightly like Carfox. They don’t want a name starting with C, and they also don’t want any of the children sharing initials. That means no names starting with M, because that’s Mason’s initial.

Boys names they have considered so far:

Archer
Aston
Augustus
Bennett
Caleb – loves it, but clashes with surname
Camden – loves it, but clashes with surname
Fletcher
Hamish
Harvey
Hudson – loves it, but worry it’s too matchy with Mason as they end with the same sound
James
Leland
Lincoln
Linden
Llewellyn
Thomas
Saxon – Nick loves it; is it too matchy with Mason?

The front-runners are probably Archer, Bennett, Fletcher and Harvey, but so far nothing is standing out.

They don’t have any middle names picked out. If they have a girl, they would like to honour a beloved relative named Lorraine Maree. For boys, everything is open.

Another issue is that Nick works in the legal system, and has been put off many names because he associates them with criminals. He wants the names to sound normal and law-abiding!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I did smile to myself over the names that have been given the heave-ho because of criminal associations. You’ve chosen well by generally preferring names that have only begun to be popular or familiar recently, because most people with these names haven’t had a chance to do anything terribly wrong yet, still being very young.

It’s great to have your own “name rules” – everyone does it, and it’s a useful way to whittle down your name list. However, it bothers me when someone’s rules end up throwing out the names they love the most. In this case, names you love such as Caleb, Hudson and Saxon are on the chopping block, while you are left to choose between names you like, but with no real stand-outs.

I won’t try to talk you into Caleb and Camden (I admit Caleb Carfox is a terrible tongue-twister), and to me Saxon sounds unusual with your surname – perhaps too striking for a twin – but are you sure Hudson isn’t possible? I do think Aston has to be removed from the list, as according to your rules, it can’t be matched with either of your girls’ names, and really does sound quite a lot like Mason.

I probably wouldn’t use long-popular names like Thomas, James or Hamish to match with either Aurelia or Edeline, as they seem like a style mismatch. Although how reassuring that these common names weren’t associated with criminal activity – what a bunch of solid citizens they must be!

With the middle names, it seems as if the easiest thing to do if you have twin girls is to name them Aurelia Lorraine and Edeline Maree. Even if you only have one girl, you could still stick to these combinations, and feel that you had honoured your loved one.

With boys, as you have a fairly long list of names, and no middle name ideas, it seems sensible to pick unusued names from your name list for the middles. This could be a good way to include a name that is perhaps too problematic to have as a first name.

You already have your girl/girl combination sorted, so now it’s just two twin combinations to choose. And because you have such clear guidelines, it shouldn’t be too difficult to match up the possible names.

GIRL AND BOY

Aurelia and Bennett
Aurelia and Harvey
Aurelia and Hudson
Aurelia and Leland
Aurelia and Lincoln
Aurelia and Linden
Aurelia and Llewellyn

Edeline and Augustus
Edeline and Bennett
Edeline and Fletcher
Edeline and Harvey

Aurelia seemed to match up most easily with more possibilities, suggesting that if you only have one girl, this would be a good first choice. I think Aurelia and Bennett sound rather handsome together, and both have lovely meanings: “golden” and “blessed”. I also really like Aurelia and Hudson, and Aurelia and Linden, which sounds very soft and gentle.

TWO BOYS

There are a LOT of possible combinations for the boys’ names, so I stuck with combinations in which at least one of the names was a front-runner. That left about 25 possible combinations, and these were my favourite matches:

Archer and Bennett
Archer and Hudson
Archer and Lincoln
Bennett and Augustus
Bennett and Fletcher
Bennett and Harvey
Bennett and Hudson
Bennett and Lincoln
Bennett and Thomas
Fletcher and Hamish
Fletcher and Harvey
Fletcher and Hudson
Fletcher and Lincoln
Fletcher and Thomas
Harvey and Lincoln
Harvey and Thomas

I really liked Archer and Bennett, Archer and Hudson, Bennett and Fletcher, Bennett and Harvey, Bennett and Hudson, Fletcher and Harvey, Fletcher and Hudson, Fletcher and Lincoln, and Harvey and Lincoln.

Because your front-runners are all surnames, they match together very easily without sounding overly matchy, and they also sound like natural brothers to Mason, which is another surname. That suggests you won’t have any trouble putting possible names together.

With the middle names, it’s just a matter of trying possible combinations until you find something that pleases you. If the leftover names on your list aren’t working for you, then a go-to method is to look at classic names like James, John, Henry, William, Leo, George, Charles, Joseph, Louis, Robert, David, Peter, Oliver, and Samuel. These make a good balance for surname names – a reassuringly solid counterweight to contemporary style.

A few combinations which occurred to me:

Aurelia Lorraine and Edeline Maree
Aurelia Lorraine and Bennett Oliver
Edeline Maree and Augustus George
Archer Caleb and Hudson Samuel
Bennett Aston and Fletcher Camden
Fletcher Saxon and Harvey Lewellyn
Harvey James and Lincoln Thomas

I’m sure various other combinations will also occur to you, and please you better.

Rae and Nick, you are organised people who like structure and order. That tells me that you will work calmly and logically through all your options until you find the right combination of names. As with choosing Mason’s name, it might take you a long time, but you will get there in the end.

As far as not loving any of the names on your list just yet, I’ve found that 90% of the time, when a couple has several names they like, they discover that by the time of the birth one of those names is perfect for their baby. I think that when the right set of names click into place, you will love them just as much as Mason’s name, and they will receive plenty of compliments too.

UPDATE: The twins were a boy and a girl, and their names are Charlotte and Bennett!

(Painting is In Good Hands by K.M. Berggren)

Waltzing With … Sydney

07 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by A.O. in Waltzing with ...

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

aristocratic surnames, aristocratic titles, celebrity baby names, english names, famous namesakes, honouring, locational names, name history, name meanings, name popularity, patriotic names, surname names, UK name popularity, unisex names, vintage names

Sydney-Circular-Quay-2012Famous City
On Australia Day, January 26, we celebrate the start of European settlement in Australia, when the First Fleet landed at Sydney Cove in 1788. Not much was actually done on this day – the ships landed, they ran up a flag, and drank a toast to the king. Few people went onshore, and convicts did not begin disembarking until the following day.

It was on February 7 1788, 228 years ago today, that the colony was proclaimed by Governor Arthur Phillip. Everyone gathered for a ceremony where possession was formally taken of the east coast of Australia by Britain – although the description of offshore territories was left sufficiently vague that it’s possible they also took New Zealand at the same time.

They did not acknowledge the Indigenous population as owners of the land, but Governor Phillip did intend to treat them humanely and kindly. Unfortunately these good intentions didn’t work out that well in the long term, mostly due to cultural ignorance and the fact they were about to unknowingly decimate the local population with a bunch of diseases.

People love to make myths about the founding of nations and cities, and in the case of Sydney, it has a strange and salacious foundation myth. It states that when the convict women were finally allowed off the boat on February 6, there was such a burst of pent-up sexual excitement that the day ended with a drunken orgy. How an orgy works when there are many more men than women is left to our imaginations.

Male historians and writers seemed to be especially fond of this urban legend, apparently loving the idea that Sydney was founded on a hotbed of drunken gang rape. They helped spread it even when they knew it wasn’t true, because there is barely a shred of evidence to support it. The soldiers’ wives were allowed off the ships not long after their husbands, and a few hand-picked convict women on February 5.

The next day, the rest of the convict women disembarked in small groups, surprising one commentator who found them cleaner and better-dressed than expected. There were no drunken convicts, because they weren’t given any alcohol. The big event was the weather, alarming to the British but entirely normal for a Sydney summer – a hot, muggy day ended with a spectacular thunderstorm, including a massive lightning strike which killed a handful of sheep. Thankfully the sheep have been left out of the orgy legend.

There was certainly plenty of sex in early Sydney, but probably most of it was between people who were already in partnerships, or at least knew each other previously. Instead of a mass orgy, there was a burst of weddings which took place in the new colony, as people settled down together and raised families – these came quickly, as everyone appeared to get pregnant easily in Sydney, even those considered barren, so that the land seemed healthy and fertile.

That was the start of Sydney as we know it – not the boozy party town you might have thought, but still a place of love and hope, new life and fresh beginnings, myths and legends, sunshine and storms, and minor miracles. Not to mention the occasional lightning-struck sheep: surely the progenitor of the traditional lamb chop on the barbie.

Name Information
Captain Arthur Phillip’s first idea for the city’s name was New Albion, a poetic way to refer to England. However, he soon changed his mind, and named it Sydney after Thomas Townshend, Baron Sydney, who was the Home Secretary. This wasn’t a first – Sydney in Nova Scotia had been named after Townshend three years earlier.

The choice of Sydney made a lot of sense, because Thomas Townshend was recognised as the originator of the plan to colonise New South Wales (at that time, the whole eastern seaboard of Australia).

He also gave the colony its first constitution and judicial system – a sign that he did not want New South Wales to be a mere penal settlement, but a colony of free citizens under English law. Although his ideals may not have always worked out in the reality of colonisation, his determination that slavery be illegal here was at least a promising start.

Townshend had originally wanted his title to be Baron Sidney, after his ancestor Sir Algernon Sidney, the famous republican, patriot and martyr, whose revolutionary ideas would help bring about the founding of the United States.

However, Townshend worried that other family members might stake a claim to it (even barons have to worry about name stealing!), so he thought about making his title Sydenham, the name of a village near his home in Kent which is now a suburb of London.

Sydnenham may mean “Cippa’s village”, which is sometimes translated as “drunkard’s village” (there are many places in England derived from Cippa, so that adds up to a lot of drunk Anglo-Saxons!). Others prefer the less controversial “market village”.

Eventually, Thomas Townshend managed to find a compromise with Sydney. To make it clear he wasn’t trying to steal Algernon Sidney off any relatives, he said it was in honour of his ancestor Sir Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester, the brother of the poet Sir Philip Sidney, who brought us the name Stella. Sir Robert was a poet as well, a diplomat and patron of the arts in Elizabethan and Jacobean times.

In the days when people were more relaxed about spelling, the Sidney family often spelled their name Sydney. The aristocratic surname Sidney is from a place name meaning “wide island” – in this case, island refers to a dry patch in a wetland. It can also be loosely translated as “at the watermeadow”. Folk etymology connects it with the suburb of St. Denis in Paris, named after the city’s patron saint. The surname originates from Kent, where the Sidney family had a seat at Tunbridge Wells.

Sydney has been used as a personal name since at least the 16th century, and was in use by the Townshend family. The name was originally given to both sexes fairly evenly, and then gradually became more common as a girl’s name, although still given to boys. By the 19th century, the situation reversed and it became much more common for boys – a variant of Sidney, rather than a feminised form of it.

Famous people named Sydney include Sydney Smirke, the architect who designed the famous Carlton Club in London; witty author Sydney Smith, whom Henry Tilney in Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey is said to be based; actor Sydney Greenstreet; Sydney Silverman, the British MP whose efforts helped bring about the abolition of the death penalty in that country; American astrologer Sydney Omarr; and Hollywood director and producer Sydney Pollack.

Two famous actors named one of their children Sydney. Comic genius Sir Charles “Charlie” Chaplin had a son named Sydney, named in honour of Chaplin’s brother, actor Sydney Chaplin. Distinguished Hollywood star Sir Sidney Poitier has a daughter named Sydney, apparently named after himself. Both Sidney Earle Chaplin and Sydney Poitier entered the acting profession.

The most famous Sydney in fiction is Sydney Carton, from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Although a flawed character, he redeems himself through an act of heroism, and Dickens gives him some farewell lines that are among the most quoted in English literature.

In Australia, Sydney charted as a unisex name from 1900 to the 1960s. It peaked in the 1910s at 222 births per year, but by the 1950s registered only 4 births per year. Although recent data is hard to come by, it would seem that Sydney is still given to both sexes, with perhaps more girls with the name overall. It is in steady but unobtrusive use.

In the UK, Sydney was a popular name for boys from the 19th century until the 1940s. Since the mid-1990s, it hasn’t been popular for either sex, and consistently charts higher for girls. Currently it is in the 300s for girls, and the 800s for boys. The name peaked for both sexes in 2001, the year after the Sydney Olympics, when it was #206 for girls and #805 for boys.

In the US Sydney charted for boys steadily from the 19th century until the 1950s, after which use became sporadic. It was last on the Top 1000 as a boy’s name in 1996, and has never charted higher than the 300s.

As a girl’s name, Sydney had a burst of use from the 1930s to the 1960s, but at lower levels of use than for boys named Sydney. After coming back in the early 1980s, the name was been consistently on the Top 1000 as a girl’s name, and was a Top 100 name from 1994 to 2013. it peaked in the early 2000s at #23 (around the time of the Sydney Olympics) and is currently just outside the Top 100.

It’s interesting that even though the name Sydney came well before the city of Sydney, the city inspired the name to peak at the time of the Summer Olympics in 2000.

Sydney may have passed its Olympian peak, but this is an appealing vintage unisex name that could honour someone named Sidney, or the city of Sydney. Despite being an “American-style” name, it will always have an undeniable Australian connection.

POLL RESULTS

As a girl’s name, Sydney received an approval rating of 78%, making it one of the top-rated names of 2016. 35% of people thought it was a good name, but 9% hated it. It was less valued as a boy’s name, although still gaining a reasonable approval rating of 67%. 26% of people thought it was a good name, and 12% hated it.

(Picture shows Circular Quay in Sydney, the area where the First Fleet landed at Sydney Cove in 1788)

What Name For Alfie’s Brother or Sister That’s Both British and Australian?

06 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by A.O. in Naming Assistance

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

choosing baby names, fictional namesakes, honouring, name combinations, name trends, nicknames, popular names, sibsets, UK name popularity

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Samantha is originally from the UK, and is married to an Australian named James. Sammie and James are expecting their second child next month, a brother or sister for their son Alfie. They picked a name for their son which is popular in in the UK but not used as much in Australia, which has worked out well (once James’ family recovered).

Sammie would love another older-style name which sounds familiar to British ears, but isn’t too common in Australia. Sammie loves the names Ted and Reggie – however, they have friends with these names, and don’t fancy seeing them on their son as well. At one point they settled on Jude, but when they shared this with Alfie, he kept saying Judy, which put them off.

James is really keen on Clarence, with the nickname Clarry or Clary, but Sammie doesn’t like it at all. This has become something of a sore point, and James is now being very critical of any name Sammie comes up with. As a result, Clarence is still on their baby name list in order not to antagonise James.

Sammie quite likes the name Digby, but James doesn’t think you can have two sons with their names ending in an EE sound.

The middle name for a boy will be either Leonard or George, which are both family names. Sammie liked the idea of combining them as Lenny George, but James says Lenny is a “nerdy” name in Australia.

Girls names will be much easier. They had picked out the name Elsie if their first child was a girl, but now Alfie and Elsie seem a bit much together. Their favourite is Daisy, then Florence and Maisy. Sammie likes Nellie, Betsy and Nora, while James prefers Georgie and Rosie. The middle name will either be Sylvia or Norma, which are both family names.

(Sammie feels that this baby is a boy and hasn’t been too bothered about girls names, but she thought Alfie was a girl, so wasn’t well prepared with boys names last time).

Sammie and James have a surname which ends in -son, like Richardson, so they don’t want a name ending in N, such as Nathan or Hayden.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Sammie I feel for you, because you have a natural desire to find a boys name similar to Alfie, and it doesn’t seem difficult to do – except all sorts of blocks keep being placed in your path.

The first thing to get out of the way is that the popular names in Australia and the UK aren’t that different, so looking for a name like Alfie, which is very popular in the UK yet not used that much in Australia, gives you a fairly short list of choices.

Other boys’ names which fit this pattern are Freddie, Finley/Finlay, Theo, Arthur, Harley, Reuben, Kian, Stanley, Jenson, Frankie, Teddy, Louie, Bobby, Elliott/Elliot, Dexter, Ollie, Frederick, Albert, Leon, Ronnie, Rory, Jamie, Ellis, Sonny, and Joey.

James doesn’t like the idea of another name ending in EE, so that eliminates Freddie, Finley/Finlay, Harley, Stanley, Frankie, Teddy, Louie, Bobby, Ollie, Ronnie, Rory, Jamie, Sonny, and Joey.

Some of these names seem like such perfect matches with Alfie that I wonder if James could rethink his policy? Alfie and Freddie, Alfie and Sonny, Alfie and Rory, and Alfie and Stanley seem utterly adorable, and quite manly or laddish as well, rather than cutesy.

Both of you don’t want a name ending in N, which would eliminate Reuben, Kian, Jenson, and Leon.

That leaves you with a choice of Theo, Arthur, Elliott/Elliot, Dexter, Frederick, Albert, and Ellis. Albert and Arthur could leave you with Alby or Artie as nicknames, which seem uncomfortably close to Alfie, while Elliot and Ellis have such a similar sound to Alfie that they might even be confused with it (a bit like the Elsie issue).

You’re now down to Theo, Dexter, and Frederick, all of which seem like perfectly reasonable choices. Theo seems like a good choice for someone who liked Ted, but wasn’t able to use it, and Dexter a fair alternative for someone who liked Digby but had had it vetoed.

I’m pretty sure Frederick would be shortened to Fred or Freddie/Freddy, which I think is a lovely match with Alfie. Then again, both Alfie and Freddie are nicknames for Alfred, so you might feel as if you’d given your sons the same name! If so, you now have a choice of just two names that fit your hoped-for pattern.

The other trouble is that your dear old other half is being a bit difficult. I’m wondering if he was as keen on Alfie’s name as you were when you chose it, especially as you said his family had some trouble adjusting to it. As you didn’t discuss boys names too much last time, thinking Alfie was a girl, was it a rushed decision? Did James feel that his views didn’t get enough of an airing?

I just wonder if some lingering resentment is what’s making him rather unreasonable this time around – and let’s face it, he is being unreasonable. Vetoing all boys names ending with an EE sound is extremely restrictive, and doesn’t make any sense considering that you’ve already agreed upon Daisy and Maisy for girls. I just can’t see any logic to this at all, and Digby would be an awesome match with Alfie (although it might make having a Daisy later seem less easy).

He’s also wrong that Lenny is a nerdy name in Australia – it’s not far outside the Top 100, and is a fashionable name. I know a lot of Australians who consider it an unsophisticated choice though, probably because it’s strongly connected with sport. Some prefer it as a nickname for Lennox or something similar.

On the other hand, his championing of Clarence is slightly odd, as this really does seem quite nerdy, in that it’s a vintage name which hasn’t had a comeback as yet (James is ahead of the curve). I think Clarry is rather cute, and doesn’t seem too strange a match with Alfie, but the fact is that you just don’t like it. I think it might be a bit too vintage Australian for you rather than vintage British, and as a Brit, I wonder if Clary reminds you too much of comedian Julian Clary?

Maybe this is James’ point – that Alfie was a very British-style choice, and he is pushing for a more Australian-style choice this time. If so, this isn’t an unreasonable request; he might just be expressing it in an unreasonable way.

I think the two of you need to have a talk about what you both really want. Last year we had an Australian-born woman married to an American write in to the blog who wanted a name which worked in both Australia and the US. Their first son was named Felix, a name more popular in Australia than the US, but still fashionable and rising there. They ended up naming their second son Sage, which is better known in the US than here, so they got a nice mix-and-match.

Perhaps James would also prefer a situation like that, where Alfie’s brother has more of an Australian vibe to his name. James’ love of Clarence/Clarry makes me wonder how he feels about Clancy, which has a wonderful literary history in Australia, as he is a character from a poem by Banjo Paterson. The name is not unusual here, although not common either.

Even though James says he doesn’t want a name ending in EE, he has suggested the name Clarry as a nickname for Clarence. Not only could Clancy work as a nickname for Clarence, but this suggests that James might be one of those people who prefer having a long form of a name on the birth certificate, and a nickname for everyday use.

This means that you might be able to have a cute boyish name after all – just with a longer name attached for formal use. Again, I think this is something you need to have a chat about.

I also can’t see anything wrong with Jude, and wonder if you were put off too easily by Alfie’s attempts to pronounce it. Is it really that big a deal if Alfie calls him Judy for a short while, or are you worried that it’s an unwanted nickname that will stick? Jude is a name popular and rising in both the UK and Australia, so another name like that might be a choice that works well for you.

Names I would suggest you consider, or re-consider:

Clancy possibly nn for Clarence
Frederick nn Freddie, Freddy or Fred
Theodore nn Theo
Jude
Dexter
Digby
Lewis
Rafferty
Fletcher
Campbell
Lennox nn Lenny
Maxwell
Rex
Tobias nn Toby

As for girls, I think you are pretty well set. Daisy, Florence, and Maisy are all great choices that sound wonderful as a sister for Alfie. I especially like the combination Daisy Sylvia. It would be very useful if you were wrong again, and in line to have a baby girl!

UPDATE: The baby was a boy, and his name is Ted!

POLL RESULTS: The public’s choice for the baby’s name was Clancy for a boy (18%), closely followed by Jude (16%), and Daisy for a girl (44%).

Baby, Where Did You Get That Name?

31 Sunday Jan 2016

Posted by A.O. in Names in the News

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

choosing baby names, Disney princesses, famous namesakes, French names, German names, honouring, Latin American names, middle names, name meanings, name trends, names of bands, nicknames, rare names, scandinavian names, sibsets, surname names, triplet sets

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On January 6 Selene Garton and Brendan Winter, from southern Queensland, welcomed their son in alarming circumstances. He arrived unexpectedly at home with no time to get to a hospital, and was a breech birth, being born feet first. They rang 000, and during a 17 minute phone call, the emergency medical dispatcher gave them soothing instructions on how to deliver the baby until the paramedics arrived. Selene and Brendan have named their son Izaya Gnarly to indicate the “gnarly” start he had in life, but he will be called Gnarly. I think if you want to give your child a very unusual name, that’s a good way to do it – put it in the middle, and then call them by their middle name.

When Kylee and Robbie Wieczorek from central Queensland knew that they were expecting a baby boy, they involved their seven-year-old son Owen in the name choosing process. Owen suggested the fairly awesome Thor Captain America Ironman, but his parents just laughed in a “kids say the darnedest things” sort of way. However, the name stuck, and once the baby arrived, Thor seemed both strong and different, so Owen’s choice prevailed. They dispensed with the suggested middle names, and Thor’s middle name is Cecil, after his great-grandfather. Owen may not mind that his middle name suggestions were ignored, as he is adoring having a baby brother.

Parker Bowman, aged 4, also loves being a big brother to his baby sister, Lennon Adelaide [pictured]. Their mum Marette Kiernan heard someone call out to their child Lennon on a beach in Florida, and decided she liked the name, while Adelaide is after Marette’s grandmother (dad Andrew hated the name Lennon at first, but seems to have come around). Parker has given his sister a cute nickname: Lemonade.

Natalie and Samuel from Terrigal have a baby boy named Iver, named after their favourite band, Bon Iver. They looked the name up and read it was a Scandinavian boy’s name meaning “archer” (which is said AYV-er). However, the American band’s name is French for “good winter”, and the Iver (winter) part is said ee-VAIR. I’m not sure whether Iver’s name is said the Scandinavian way, the French way, or like Ivor.

More unexpected honouring: Sarah and Jarrad Cook from Geelong wanted to name their son after their favourite AFL footballer, Daniel Menzel. Daniel wasn’t distinctive enough, so their baby son is named Menzel, and he has already met his famous namesake. Menzel is a German surname which is a pet form of Menz, short for names such as Herman and Clemens. You might recall the difficulties John Travolta had with the name of the actress Idina Menzel, from Frozen. Let’s hope no one similarly mangles Menzel’s name.

And another name honouring a sporting hero: Cassie and Kris Pyper from Kurnell in Sydney named their son Maximus John John, after the Hawaiian surfer John John Florence, because Kris is a keen surfer himself. Florence’s name is actually just John, but his mother called him John John after John F. Kennedy Jr, the son of JFK. Aptly, John John Florence is renowned for surfing the huge waves of the Banzai Pipeline often just called the Pipe), so there’s a connection with the Pyper surname.

Dimity and Michael Hand from Sydney’s northern beaches have a baby girl named Zaelia. Dimity picked out the name Zaelia when she was a little girl, because her childhood best friend had a wonderful grandmother named Zaelia. Dimity thinks that Zaelia is derived from Azalea and means “little flower”, but it’s actually a Latin American pet form of Rosalia. However, that still gives it a flowery meaning. Dimity also believes Zaelia isn’t influenced by trends, although it’s right on trend because of Zali and Zalia.

Ina and Dave Mills from the Northern Beaches welcomed their third child late last year. They already had a daughter named Ruby and a son named Roki, and hadn’t picked out a name before the birth. However, there was a painting of a caravan called Ruby and Rosie just outside the delivery room, and they took that as a sign, so their daughter is named Rosie Bea. Why Bea? Because she was meant to be, of course!

Carmen and Adrian Longmuir from Gladstone welcomed their sixth child last year and named him Tyz, said to rhyme with rise. Adrian chose the name because Tyz will be their last child, and he “ties up” the family nicely. The meaning has special poignancy because Tyz’s brother Kash passed away a year before.

Quinn and Ivy Palmer from Adelaide may look like twins, but these baby girls are actually triplets – their sister, the smallest triplet, died while still in the womb. Parents Emma-May and Jim named the third triplet Aurora, because she is their “Sleeping Beauty”.

Celebrity Baby News: NRL Babies

30 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by A.O. in Celebrity Baby News

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

celebrity baby names, celebrity sibsets, honouring, middle names

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Corey Parker and his wife Margaux welcomed their daughter River Monroe a few days ago, joining big sister Memphis and brothers Wylei and Jagger; Jagger’s birth was covered on the blog. Veteran Corey has been with the Brisbane Broncos since 2001, and is the team’s highest points scorer. He has also been selected for the national squad, the Queensland state team, The NRL All Stars, and the Prime Minister’s XIII.

Anthony Watmough and his wife Elle welcomed their daughter Jagger Rose on January 24. Anthony and Elle had quite a few struggles with fertility, and were told that their baby might be stillborn, so they are very relieved she has arrived safely, albeit several weks early. Anthony has children named Claudia and Jake from his previous marriage, who are Jagger’s siblings. Anthony was with the Manly Sea Eagles for many years, but joined the Parramatta Eels last season. He has also been chosen to play for the national squad, the New South Wales state team, City Origin, and the NRL All Stars.

Alex Glenn and his fiancee Jemma Morgan welcomed their son Miller Alexander on January 21, the middle name perhaps honouring the baby’s father. Alex is originally from New Zealand and came to Australia as a teenager. He has played for the Brisbane Broncos since 2009, and has also been chosen to play for New Zealand and the Cook islands.

Jack Reed and his wife Karen welcomed their daughter Quinn Ivy on January 19 [pictured]. Jack was born in England and grew up in Queensland; he has played for the Brisbane Broncos since 2011. He has also been selected for the English national team, and for the NRL All Stars.

Royal Baby News: Lord Frederick Windsor and Sophie Winkleman

23 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by A.O. in Celebrity Baby News

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

celebrity baby names, celebrity sibsets, honouring, royal baby names, royal sibsets

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Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor welcomed their second child on January 16 and have named their daughter Isabella Alexandra May. Isabella is a little sister for Maud Elizabeth Daphne Marina, aged 2; Maud’s birth was featured on the blog.

Although the Windsors live in the United States, they returned to Britain for Isabella’s birth, and she was born at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital in London, weighing 6.75 lb (3 kg). The baby is 48th in line to the throne.

Lord Frederick is the only son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and is first-cousin once removed to Queen Elizabeth II. Lady Frederick Windsor is an English actress known professionally as Sophie Winkleman.

Maud has the queen’s name, Elizabeth, as one of her middle names, while Isabella has one of the queen’s middle names, Alexandra, as one of her middle names. Isabella is also another form of the name Elizabeth.

Roma and Roy

22 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by A.O. in Birth Announcements

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

honouring, name combinations, sibsets, twin sets

Farewell party for QPWS staff Ross Perry and others, Sep 2007, Roma.

Twins
Kiara Lee and Brianna Louise (Ruby, Cooper)
Nai and Fisiiahi (boy/girl – named after grandparents) (Ethan, Isabella, Jaxon)

Girls
Bella Adaline (Heidi)
Charlotte Pearl (Millie, Archie)
Delilah May (Mayella)
Eleanor Olive (Jack)
Estella Chet
Evanna Terri Violet (Sebastian)
Evelyn Hazel (Georgia)
Florence Ruby
Hallie Margaret (Ruby, Layla)
Holly Quinn (Bailey, Lachlan, Madison)
Isabelle Zakia (Sana, Jasmine)
Kayla Sage (Larni)
Keira Coral
Mabel Evelyn
Maggie Maisie (Max)
Mary Joy
Messina
Nataysia Lee
Rebecca Frances
Roma Kiah (Toby)
Rose Victoria Jane (Ruby)
Summer Skye Lynette
Theadora Rose
Vivian Joanne (Roy, Laurence)
Yarah Grace Mary

Boys
Ahnaf Tajwar
Cheyse Jensen
Curtis McDonald
Donny Oliver
Edward Martin
Jackson Rennison (Sasha, Hayden, Blake, Kaytie, Lily)
James Everard (William Terrence)
Jentzen David (Arabella, Madeline)
Keegan William George (Cohen)
Marcus Alan (Chloe, Bella)
Max Cooper (Mia, Hutch)
Nelson Roy
Noah Kemp
Oliver Gregory
Philip Anthony
Reji Jed (Loka, Linkin)
Roy Patrick
Russell Leonard
Spencer Luke
Theo Joseph (Mav)
Tyrion
Willis Ashley
Witt Joseph (Zion)
Xavier Dale (Sophia)
Zane Marcus

(Picture shows a bottle tree – B. rupestris – near Roma in central Queensland; photo from Robert Ashdown)

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